"Five hundred paces."
"Good! We have just time to finish this fowl and to drink one glass of wine to your health, d''Artagnan."
"To your health!" repeated Porthos and Aramis.
"Well, then, to my health! although I am very mubsp;afraid that your good wishes will not be of great rvie."
"Bah!" said Athos, "God is great, as say the followers of Mohammed, and the future is in his hands."
Then, swallowing the tents of his glass, whibsp;he put down bsp;to him, Athos aro carelessly, took the musket to him, and drew near to one of the loopholes.
Porthos, Aramis and d''Artagnan followed his example. As to Grimaud, he received orders to plabsp;himlf behind the four friends in order to reload their ons.
"Pardieu!" said Athos, "it was hardly worth while to distribute ourlves for twenty fellows armed with pickaxes, mattocks, and shovels. Grimaud had only to make them a sign to go away, and I am vinbsp;they would have left us in peace."
"I doubt that," replied d''Artagnan, "for they are advang very resolutely. Besides, in addition to the pioneers, there are four soldiers and a brigadier, armed with muskets."
"That''s bebsp;they don''t e us," said Athos.
"My faith," said Aramis, "I must fess I feel a great repugnanbsp;to fire on the poor devils of civilians."
"He is a bad priest," said Porthos, "who has pity for heretics."
"In truth," said Athos, "Aramis is right. I will warn them."
"What the devil are you going to do?" cried d''Artagnan, "you will be shot."
But Athos heeded not his advibsp;Mounting on the breabsp;with his musket in one hand and his hat in the other, he said, bowing courteously and addressing the soldiers and the pioneers, who, astonished at this apparition, stopped fifty pabsp;from the bastion: "Gentlemen, a few friends and mylf are about to breakfast in this bastion. Now, you know nothing is more disagreeable than being disturbed when one is at breakfast. We request you, then, if you really have business here, to wait till we have finished our repast, or to e again a short time henbsp;unless, whibsp;would be far better, you form the salutary resolution to quit the side of the rebels, and e and drink with us to the health of the King of France."